Last Week’s Record: 6-0 (100.0%)
Season Record: 74-21 (77.9%)
The Predictions Dept. scored a perfect record in Week 12, and should in Week 13, too, as there are only two games of note: Georgia-Texas A&M and Tennessee-Missouri. Everything else is haves vs. have nots that populate the penultimate week of the SEC regular season every year.
TEXAS A&M at GEORGIA
This could be a lot closer game than expected. Ever since losing to Alabama, which effectively iced Texas A&M’s championship hopes, the Aggies have been largely ignored by the media, yet have continued to click off wins albeit not always in the way oddsmakers projected. Georgia, meanwhile, has turned into a defensive juggernaut, but is not really playing good offensive football at the moment. Were the game in College Station, we might be tempted to take Texas A&M in an upset. If Georgia falls asleep on the issue of keeping A&M QB Kellen Mond contained, it could still happened. This is the same outfit that lost to South Carolina, after all. But Georgia’s defense is playing too well at the moment to expect the Aggies to be able to pick the Bulldogs off.
Georgia 29
Texas A&M 13
WESTERN CAROLINA at ALABAMA
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TENNESSEE-MARTIN at KENTUCKY
This is the game that is going to make Kentucky bowl-eligible. Really not much more to say than that.
Kentucky 45
UT-Martin 7
TENNESSEE at MISSOURI
Missouri has lost four in a row and hasn’t scored more than 14 points since Oct. 12 against defense-allergic Ole Miss. Tennessee is winners of three in a row; both teams are 5-5. Missouri is appealing a postseason ban, an appeal that suddenly doesn’t look nearly as urgent as it did when the Tigers were 5-1 and having thoughts of sneaking past Georgia into the SEC Championship Game. Both teams are likely to get to six wins regardless of this game; Tennessee finishes with Vanderbilt while Missouri gets Arkansas. If both teams play to their potential, Missouri will win. It just remains to be seen how the current losing streak will weigh on the Tigers’ mindset.
Missouri 34
Tennessee 27
EAST TENNESSEE STATE at VANDERBILT
Vanderbilt, at 2-8, is sitting home for the holidays this year while school officials likely ponder Derek Mason’s fate as head coach. All that’s left is a trip to Tennessee next week to try to beat the Commodores’ main rival. This game won’t be close unless the ‘Dores get a one-week head start on the bus ride to Knoxville.
Vanderbilt 45
ETSU 10
ARKANSAS at LOUISIANA STATE
This is a conference game, not a haves-vs.-have-nots game, but you won’t be able to tell it by the final score. Arkansas has seen its head coach fired and a lot of soul-searching about the program’s viability in the SEC come to a head this week. LSU isn’t exactly the cure for what ails the Razorbacks. For that matter, this is the worst possible opponent at the worst possible time, played in the worst possible location for Arkansas’ team and fans. Get ready for the barbecue.
LSU 63
Arkansas 14
SAMFORD at AUBURN
At least it’s a short bus ride, Samford.
Auburn 52
Samford 0
ABILENE CHRISTIAN at MISSISSIPPI STATE
A week in advance of the Egg Bowl, Ole Miss is off, while Mississippi State is not. Technically.
Mississippi St. 55
Abilene Chr. 7
IDLE: Florida, South Carolina, Ole Miss
Follow Jess Nicholas on Twitter at @TideFansJessN